HC Deb 19 January 1976 vol 903 cc365-7W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will pay the motor insurance premium of all registered disabled persons.

Mr. Alfred Morris

No. It would be very costly to do so for all car owners among the 700,000 registered disabled in England and Wales, only a proportion of whom are specially dependent on motoring for their mobility. Disabled people of working age who are unable or virtually unable to walk will be able to devote the new £5 a week mobility allowance towards motoring costs, or other means of mobility, as they wish. People aged 15–25 are already eligible for this allowance, and payments have begun; applications are now being invited from the age group 26–50 and further age groups will be phased in as soon as possible.

Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her latest estimate of the proportion of physically disabled people in residential care in homes run (a) by local authorities and (b) by voluntary bodies.

Mr. Alfred Morris

It is estimated that between 1 and 2 per cent. of physically handicapped people under the age of 65 in England and Wales are in local authority residential homes and a roughly similar proportion in voluntary homes. It is not possible to provide comparable figures in respect of people aged over 65.

Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will list the representatives of voluntary bodies who have been invited to her Department's forthcoming seminar on the problems of the physically disabled;

(2) if she will list the local authority representatives who have been invited to her Department's forthcoming seminar on the problems of the physically disabled;

(3) if she will list the academics who have been invited to her Department's forthcoming seminar on the problems of the physically disabled;

(4) how the interests of physically disabled people in residential care will be covered at her forthcoming seminar at Sunningdale.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Following is a list of participants other than Ministers and other hon. Members from both sides of the House, advisors and officials. A number of those taking part have specialist knowledge of the needs of physically disabled people in residential care and one at least has had personal experience. I am also approaching Group Captain Cheshire to ask him if he would like to look in on the seminar on the second day.

  • Dr. R. C. B. Aitken, Professor of Rehabilitation Studies, University of Edinburgh.
  • Professor J. Blackie, Chairman, Scottish Committee for the Welfare of the Disabled.
  • Miss M. Blackwood, Hon. President, Disablement Income Group, Scotland.
  • Cllr. P. Bolshaw, Chairman, Social Services Committee, Herts. C.C.
  • Mr. W. E. Boyce, Director of Social Services, Essex C.C.
  • Mr. J. Bradshaw, University of York, Rowntree Trust research worker.
  • Mr. C. J. Carey, Director of Social Services, Cleveland C.C.
  • Dr. I. Chesham, Specialist in Community Medicine (Child Health) Cheshire Area Health Authority.
  • Mr. G. V. Cooke, County Education Officer, Lincs, C.C.
  • Mr. W. D. Davies, Director of Social Services, Mid-Glamorgan C.C.
  • Cllr. J. C. Dodd, Chairman, Social Services Committee, Clwyd.
    • 367
  • Cllr. N. M. E. Eady, Chairman, Social Services Committee, Leics. C.C.
  • Mr. J. Edmonds, General and Municipal Workers' Union, Member of National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People.
  • Mr. G. Gilbertson, Chairman, National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People.
  • Mr. D. R. Gray, Headmaster of Brays School for Physically Handicapped Children, Birmingham.
  • Mr. D. Guthrie, Director, National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases.
  • Lady Hamilton, Chairman, Disabled Living Foundation, Chairman, Central Council for the Disabled.
  • Mr. P. Hunt, Member of Disablement Income Group and other organisations for disabled people.
  • Mr. D. Hutchison, Head of Work Orientation Unit, North Nottinghamshire College of Further Education
  • Miss J. Jones, Area Nursing Officer, Leics. Area Health Authority (Teaching).
  • Mr. P. Large, Disablement Income Group and Chairman, Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled.
  • Mr. G. Lee, Secretary-General, National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children. Mr. J. Loring, Director, Spastics Society.
  • Mr. W. Merritt, Leeds Social Services Committee, Vice-Chairman, Social Services Committee, Association of Metropolitan Authorities.
  • Mr. P. Mitchell, Research Officer, All-Party Disablement Group.
  • Mr. T. Parker, General Secretary, National League of the Blind and Disabled.
  • Dr. F. Reid, Past President, Federation of the Blind.
  • Mr. L. Roberts, Deputy Secretary, Association of County Councils.
  • Dr. J. Rowley, Chairman, Wales Council for Disabled.
  • Dr. J. Sommerville, Director, Camden Medical Rehabilitation Centre.
  • Dr. A. Stokes, Chairman, Disabled Drivers Motor Club.
  • Professor P. Townsend, Professor of Sociology, University of Essex.
  • Mr. S. Tumim, Chairman, National Deaf Children's Society.
  • Councillor W. Turner, Chairman, Social Services Committee, Birmingham.
  • Professor M. Warren, Director, Health Services Research Unit, University of Kent.
  • Mr. G. Wilson, Director, Central Council for the Disabled.